Guardian Falls
by Sundiel260
Summary: Stanford Pines was a brilliant man, a high intellectual person with 12 PhD's and an incredible inventor. Yes, he was a genius, one to be remembered and looked upon with high regards. Nothing could bring him down. Nothing! ... except maybe the phone call he received that morning.
1. Phone Call

Hello readers! This is my AU of Gravity Falls! So I'll be quick to point out a few things in this story.

One: Ford never went into the portal, though he's a bit reclusive from a lot of people and mostly spends his time at home doing science work and all that slick. Any who, the people of Gravity Falls know about, with little knowledge about him that they know, Ford. Ford knows everyone in town but doesn't interact with anyone much.

Two: It kills me, it really does, but in this AU, Dipper and Mable are orphans.

Three: There is still a Mystery Shack!

Four: For a long time now, there's something, or someone, that is super persistent which Ford greatly dislikes.

And finally, five: This is all set a week before the beginning of summer.

Alright! So, not everything will be perfect and I may or may not mess up the charterers by mistake and will probably need pointers and some tips to improve it better in the nearby chapters. I do not own anyone except my own charterers and monsters. So! Without further ado! On to the story!

* * *

Stanford Pines was a brilliant man, a high intellectual person with 12 PhD's and an incredible inventor. Yes, he was a genius, one to be remembered and looked upon with high regards from respectable scientists and wide eyed awe of young children. Ford knew that he was capable of many things, even building things that were beyond human comprehension. His mind was the best, infallible, simply one of a kind with no comparison to anyone and high above the rest. There was nothing in this world that could bring him down, nothing.

Nothing… except maybe the phone call he received that morning on July 20th.

It was past 8:39 am that the phone on the counter in his kitchen buzzed. Ford, at first, ignored it, finding it unimportant at the moment and focused more on the newspaper with his third cup of coffee today, humming idly as he sat at the table with his back on the phone. His attention however was half drawn to the message that went to voicemail.

* _Click_ * _Greetings! This is Stanford Pines. I'm currently unavailable right at the moment and will probably not be able to get to you right away, so please leave a message after the tone. *Beeeep* "Mister Pines? This is Anna Rightwiller from the Piedmont California hospital."_ A brow went up on his face. Why would someone from another country be calling him?" _I'm calling to discuss the… position, that your niece and nephew are in. A serious position…"_

Both brows went up high on his face, turning his head away from the paper and slowly placing the mug of coffee down. His niece and nephew? He had a niece and a nephew? The brows went back down as it suddenly occurred to him that they were in a hospital." _I've done some file work for any relatives that live close by and found your name. This may not be the best to explain that they've been omitted to the serious health condition that they're in to you, but considering that you're the closest relative to contact since their parents are… no longer available-"_

The paper and coffee were forgotten instantly and Ford was soon by the phone, picking up the receiver with fumbling hands, (darn these six fingers!), before finally grasping it firmly and held it close to his ear. "H-Hello? This is Stanford Pines speaking." Ford vaguely noted that his voice was shaking, but he didn't care at the moment. He was more concerned to what he had just heard moments ago. "C-can you repeat that?"

" _Certainly."_ The lady, Anna, said with a sad tone to her voice. " _Last night, your niece and nephew, Mabel and Dipper Pines, were in a car accident with their parents."_ There was a silent pause then, one that was heavy and uncomfortable. Ford could only suspect what had happened. "… _They were lucky. They were… so so lucky to… to have… survived with some cuts, a-and some scrapes and a… p-possible scar but..."_

"… But not… their parents." God, he felt terrible. Sure he didn't know them, or heck, even knew he _had_ a niece and a nephew, but no one, no one had to go through what they had to.

" _I'm… I'm afraid so… listen, I… I wouldn't have called you if it wasn't important."_

Ford nodded, forgetting slightly that the other person couldn't see him and quickly corrected himself. "Y-yes I suppose not. Calling nearby relatives _is_ an important task to tell them about… passing of other relatives. But then again I'm not really sure if I'm the closest relat-"

" _It's not that!"_ Ford stopped short from the sudden outburst from the other end, taking note of how Anna was taking deep breaths. "… _Look, I… this is… h-hard for me… for them."_ Ford stayed quiet, leaning on the counter with one hand." _What th-they've gone through… God. I'm n-not even suppose to be talking to you right now."_

"What?" Ford blinked, unsure if he had heard that correctly. "What do you mean by that?"

" _Everything."_ A frown was soon on Ford's face. " _L-Look. I'm just an assistant nurse and I shouldn't even be doing this without anyone knowing, but I-I know when people… when people think what's b-best for someone but it only makes it worse."_ A certain part of Ford's mind was aware that Anna was probably close to cry by the sound of her voice, and another part of his brain couldn't help but sympathize with the girl. He knew exactly what she implied. "… _They… they plan on having the children split apart."_

Something inside Ford dropped down in his stomach. Something unsettling and felt foreboding that made his insides turn sickly and uneasy. His mind raced with thoughts that ran millions a second. Split apart? They plan on splitting they apart?Why? What for? Couldn't they stay together? Why split them away from each other? Why would they do that? _How_ could they do that? Wait, they were only children? They plan to split the _children_ apart after what they've been through? Who thought of such a stupid decision? Why split them apart? God Damn It! If only the bastard who thought to split them apart was here so he could give them a piece of his mind right now!

" _Mr. Ford?"_

Ford blinked back into reality, suddenly aware that he somehow managed to seat himself on a chair with the phone in one hand on the other hand tangled in his hair that probably needed a shower soon.

" _Mr. Ford? Are you there?"_

The phone was back in his attention again and he brought it back to his ear. "Yes, yes I-I'm sorry it just… Split them apart? After what they've been through? I-It just doesn't make any sense!"

" _I know, but since there are no other close by relatives to take them in, they… they plan to give them to different foster homes."_

Well that certainly made things a _whole_ lot better for Ford.

" _Listen, I know this is probably asking much, a-and this is probably the craziest thing to be hearing today, especially from someone from another country no doubt but unless they have a relative to come and take care of them before the end of the week, there's no doubt that they're going to take the twins and-"_

"I'll come." The answer was out of Ford's mouth before he even realized what he had just said without thinking. "I'll… I'll come. Just, just tell me which hospital they're at and I'll come."

" _R-really?"_

"Yes."

" _O-Oh thank God! Th-thank! Thank you! This is! This is a major relief! They-They didn't even try to contact anyone once they figured that no one was nearby in this country and oh God! This is great! Oh! Right, you still need the address. Alright, get something to jot down ready."_

Ford nodded, patting around his coat till he found a pen and started to scrawl down the address. Once he had the information, he thanked the nurse and hung up, turning to head out the kitchen and pack for the trip when the sudden realization hit him.

Hard.

"What did I just agree to?!" Panic swelled in his chest, gripping his head and tangling all six of fingered hands in his greying hair as the memory of what just happened moments ago played in his mind over again and again, all coming with the same conclusion. Him, Stanford Filbrick Pines, world genius and 12 PhD's, had _agreed_ to take care of a couple of kids who were supposedly his niece and nephew whom he had no clue about and lived far off in a different country.

Warning sirens were blaring in his head. There were so many ways that this could be a trap, a hoax, a gimmick, something that was certainly not true about this. There was no way that he had a niece and nephew, he would've known that he had them! This! This was insane! None of this had to be true! None of it!

… But, then again, he hadn't really kept in touch with his family for a long time now. A really long time. So it would be common for him not to really know if he had a niece and a nephew with him being so disconnected from any family lines for a long while now. It was a possibility that he really _did_ have a niece and nephew… and the women, Anna, sounded really sincere and distressed when she talked about the children, no obvious lie in her voice what so ever. Plus, no one would really go through all the trouble of calling him if there really wasn't any nearby relatives, even if they were pretty far from each other.

Ford sighed, dragging one hand down his face and the other grabbing locks of hair on the back of his head. There was no real way of knowing what was true or not without going to California and seeing the kids for himself. He could look up the address that he was given, that could prove that it was true or not but the kids…

A blood test or some viable proof should be enough.

With a groan, Ford continued with his previous task. First he had to pack, then worry about all of this on the way there, and if it was all true, then there was no doubt that they would fall into his care since there would be no one else to take care of them.

Once again, Ford stopped short.

The kids would fall into his care. Two kids. Going to possibly live with him. Him!

Strings of curses went out under his breath and began pacing around. Damn it all! He couldn't take care of a child, let alone two! What was he thinking?! He didn't have enough supplies or knowledge of childcare! He had money, sure, but that was saved for emergencies and necessities till summer rolled by for the shack to open, and that was a week from now or if people went on vacation early. Damn it all, how was supposed to care for them and run a business?!

Well, technically the business wasn't really his to begin with. It was just something that he relied off of since he used all his grant money on his project. If it wasn't for-

… oh… right.

He had another problem on his hands.

"What am I going to do?" Ford groaned, slipping into the easy chair and hid his face in his hands. "There's no way I can take care of them! This is-this is unreal! I must be dreaming!"

But he knew he wasn't. His dreams were much different than this. Much different. He was wide awake that was for sure, but it still felt unreal to him.

"I… I can't do this." He slumped against the chair. "There's no way I can do this…"

Silence was soon all he could hear. His body relaxed into the chair, letting himself calm down and think more clearly, going over everything again and again. Brown eyes looked out in the room. It was, in a sense, cozy looking. Inviting and warm, unlike how it had previously been years ago. It was well furnished and held a welcoming atmosphere around it, and yet it held a slight enchantment and mystery that drew in people with awe and wonder. A perfect balance that held each end together perfectly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ford reached over to the dinosaur skull and plucked the item off it and brought it over to look at it properly. His frown slowly melted into a soft smile, running a thumb over the rime of an old frame that held an old photo behind a thin sheet of glass.

The smile quickly faded and determination soon replaced it. Setting the frame back into it's original spot, he got up onto his feet and headed up the stairs, grabbing his coat off the coat hanger along the way and hesitantly put it on.

His name was Stanford Pines, the man with 12 PhD's, made amazing discoveries in this small town in the middle of nowhere, and a man of science that took on dangers and risks every day like a professional. If he could take on monsters in his everyday life, he could handle raising a pair of twins.

… wait.

 _ **DID SHE SAY THEY WERE TWINS?!**_

* * *

"I shouldn't be gone no longer than a week. While I'm gone, this place needs to be clean and not a single thing out of place or anything strange when I come back with them, alright Soos?" With the last of his luggage in the car, Ford turned to the man-child beside him.

Jesus Alzamirano Ramírez, or Soos as he preferred, was a very odd man in Ford's case, but unbelievably loyal. If there was anyone he could trust to take care of the shack while he was away, Soos was the… man? Man-child? … He'll go with person. Soos was the only person he could rely on.

"No prob dude!" Soos smiled, tipping his hat a bit. "Man I can't wait to meet the lil' dudes! It'll be fun havin' some new faces around here! Hey, you think they might like the Mystery Shack?"

Ford, shutting the trunk of the car close, spared a glance to his home. It wasn't a nice sight to see, and it had seen better days in its younger years, but it was home to Stanford. And probably home to the twins too. If they were related that is. "It's… debatable Soos. I don't really know what they'll like or what they won't like till I meet them. As I said before, this is the first time I'll be meeting them. Things might be a little…" He paused a bit, waving a hand in the air to emphasize his point while trying to find the right way to describe the situation to the handyman. "… unsteady, at first. But I'm sure things will go fine." He looked back at Soos, putting on a hard face. "Just make sure that everything is ready when I get back."

"Yes sir!" Soos saluted. "Get necessary items that they need, get the attic cleaned up and ready, make sure that there's plenty of food when you arrive, and make sure that the gnomes don't chew up the furniture."

"Good." With a nod, Ford stepped into the car and started the engine, rolling down the window a moment later. "And one more thing." The smile on Soos face went away as Ford looked at him dead in the eye with heavy seriousness. "If… you-know-who, stops by while I'm gone." Ice laced his voice and his grip on the wheel turned his knuckles white. "Tell them that I still won't consider their offer and I never will. And if they're persistent, have Wendy use the hose."

"Got it!"

With a nod, Ford rolled the window back up and shifted the car into gear and drove out.

"Let's see, mental checklist. Mental checklist." Ford mumbled to himself, turning the car onto the main road and out of the forest. "Let's see. I have clothes, check. Toothbrush plus toothpaste, check. Money just in case I need to get something, check." He glanced out the window, watching the trees pass by. But his focus wasn't on the trees. "Snacks, log journal, book on legal care, medication, check, check, check, and check."

He spared a glance back on the road, seeing the small town not too far off now. "What else is there?" Six fingers thrummed against the steering wheel. His eyes went back onto the forest, spying a pathway with a danger sign out front that lead into the forest ahead. He stared at it for a few moments before sighing and turning the wheel, driving the car off the main road and into the thick woods.

Ford drove in silence as he maneuvered the car deeper and deeper into the woods. He didn't have to worry about running into anything or have anything block his path to his destination.

The path was always clear whenever he took it.

Minutes of driving in silence, the car was soon in a clearing, deep in the woods and far away from any prying eyes. Ford brought the car to a stop in the middle of the clearing, shutting the engine off and sat there.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"… You're not usually this late." He mumbled, glancing out the side window. "Are you hunting? … Or is it something else?" His brows knotted together. "…" With frustrated sigh, Stanford reached into his coat, taking out a leather book and a fountain pen. "Guess it's a good time as any to jot some things down." He mused, flipping the book open to his last entry.

 _July 19th,_

 _I swear, Wendy's brothers will drive me insane one of these days! Today I found them SPRAY PAINTING the SIDE of MY HOUSE! I would have taught them all a lesson or two if Wendy hadn't shown up and take care of it. I still banded her brothers for two weeks off my premises after they cleaned their mess up and took some money off of Wendy's pay. I know it wasn't reasonable to do that to her, but money is a bit tight at the moment after the whole… 'hole' incident last month. Fortunately, Wendy was understanding enough, so there's no ill will between us… I think._

 _Any who, my studies have been coming along slowly. Research is still a negative but there have been some spikes in the radars. Not too high to cause an alarm so no worries there. The crystal that I've been studying has shown a great capability to what I need. With just enough crushed moonstones and some golden twine mixed with unicorn hair, it could be just what I need!_

The entry stopped there. Nothing else had happened on that day that he needed to jot down. But today however, had a lot of things he need to write. Picking up the pen, he began on a clean page of his journal.

 _July 20th,_

 _Today has been… hectic. I would assume that it would be a normal day today as I got out of bed and made breakfast, but I should have suspected better. It all happened when the phone went off. I let the machine answer it for me, as I figured that_ ' _ **they'**_ _were calling me again._

 _I was wrong._

 _Instead of the_ ' _ **usual caller'**_ _, to my surprise it was a woman calling me from another state. From Piedmont California. She claimed to be an assistant nurse and was calling me to inform me of an… unfortunate accident, claiming the lives of two unfortunate souls. Their children however, my niece and nephew, have survived the accident, hopefully with some minor scrapes and cuts and nothing too… permanent._

 _However, it seems that I am the only relative, excluding the distance between us, close by and have been requested to care for them or else they would be split apart and sent to different foster homes. After what they've been through, I could not ignore such thing. Therefor, today I am heading out to Piedmont California to pick up the kids and bring them here in Gravity Falls to live with me._

 _If we are related that is._

 _I'm still cautious of this whole thing, so I will remain alert and high on my guard till I can prove or disprove that they are indeed my niece and nephew._

 _Still, with what has happened today, it was a kick start to get me out of the house and on the road. Though, I made a quick detour to the woods. There's something I must do first there. And hopefully he's in a good mood tod-_

 **THUNK!**

Ink splatter and scrawled in an unkempt and unorderly fashion as Ford was suddenly jolted from his thoughts and back into reality by the car suddenly shaking. On instinct, he dropped the pen and reached for his belt where his special made gun that he kept with him whenever he left the shack was holstered to his side.

Tap.

Tap.

Screak.

Tap.

His hand stopped, hovering over the weapon but never touching it. "You really must think of a better way to let yourself be known." He growled in irritation, abandoning the weapon and unbuckling, opening the door to step out. "I'm not as young as I use to be. Surprises like that could give me a heart attack in my old age!" He nearly shouted as he stepped out of the car, closing the door shut behind him before sighing and leaned against it, pressing a hand on his face. "… I'm grateful you remembered the code. I was almost ready to shoot."

There was a slight tremor beside him, but Ford didn't spare a glance at it to know that they were right beside him. "I would start asking how your day has been so far, but I wouldn't. I… I don't have the time for such thing right now… I won't have time for it for a whole week actually."

Something shifted, leaning against the car with enough force that it dipped down slightly, evident that they were listening to his every word but seemingly not enjoying it so far.

"Listen, something important came up that requires my attention." Dragging the hand down to the side of his face, his eyes glanced ahead, not wanting to look at his company just yet. "I should be gone no longer than a week, simply seven days. Tops! … I… I don't want to leave Gravity Falls for that long, but it sadly has to be that way."

 **THUNK!**

Ford nearly jumped in surprise, but sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes yes. I know. That's completely stupid coming from me. But you have to understand! This is important! Really important." He paused a bit, looking to the ground as if it held the answers that he needed. "… family important."

His voice was soft and quiet, almost under his breath and barely above a whisper, but he was certain that they heard him. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly through his nose, he steeled himself for what he was about to say next.

"I got a call this morning… one from Piedmont California. It seems that… an accident happened and well…" He shifted his weight on one foot to the other, rubbing the back of his head. "It… it seems that I need to pick up a couple of… kids. A niece and a nephew. I-I don't know if they really are related or not but I could have a test run to prove it. B-but it may be more of a t-trap and-"

A strong grip was applied to Ford's shoulder before jerking him to the left, followed suit by a tight constriction wrapping around his upper body in a strong hold. It clicked instantly in Ford's mind that he was being hugged, smiled, and hugged back as best he could.

"Thanks. Just… promise me you'll stay in the forest till I get back. Just a week, a whole one hundred and sixty eight hours and then I'll be back…" His grip tightened slightly, burying his face against a hard felt shoulder. "… I promise I'll be back." His voice was muffled but it seemed clear enough for them as he felt them shake their head against his own shoulder.

It felt like forever, but it was only over a slight minute before he broke apart from the hug. "Oh! And one more thing before I go." He dug around in his pocket of his coat, searching a bit before his fingers brushed against something and pulled out what he was looking for and held the item out. "I had just enough materials to make it last night." His smile beamed as they took the item out of his open palm. "It should do the trick in keeping the more unwelcomed creatures away and add as a protective against… well." He shrugged, eyes darting to the sky. "You know."

He watched as they placed the item around their neck, and once he was sure that it was secured, he patted them on the shoulder, giving the best smile he could that didn't show off his nervousness, though he was certain that they could already tell, and swiftly got into the car, sparing one more glance out the window before starting the engine up again and drove out of the clearing the same way he came. It was once the clearing had disappeared from the rear view mirror that he let his mask fall.

He was nervous, slightly scared even. A week away from his home town to go and possibly visit and/or take custody of his maybe niece and nephew, it was more frightening than fighting a ten foot monster. It wasn't something he could blast, that would make things even worse. It wasn't something he was familiar with, human interaction was _not_ his strong suit in the slightest. It wasn't something of a two person team, he never went alone for long.

This was entirely new for him, something out of his knowledge and out of his familiar field of science that he was used to.

And what was worse was the possibility of coming back with a pair of kids. Twins! Another thing out of his league!

"Things just get crazier and crazier each day." He sighed, switching the radio on. "How does anyone deal with this type of stuff each day?" Ford mused, keeping his eyes locked on the road as he drove into town, sparing glances here and there in the small town. "… Will they even like it here?"

There was a lot of stuff here that others would consider strange or odd who hadn't lived here as long as Gravity Falls inhabitants. He wondered if the kids would get use to it, if they would get use to him. Taking one hand off the wheel, he flexed all six of his fingers. Would they be scared of him? Find him odd? A freak?

… There was only one way to find out.

Focus back on the road, Ford knew as he drove the car out of town and on the road that lead out of Gravity Falls that he grew to call home, that after today, everything would change completely.

… But first.

There was a certain sign he had to fix first before leaving just yet.

* * *

Leave a review to tell me how I did and if you liked it!

And complaints go straight to the complaint box!


	2. Arrival

**Okay! Quick note! A lot of you had pointed out that I made a mistake with the whole country and summer time thing. So just ignore that! Ignore the summer time thing, I'll get that fixed in the rest of the chapters. Good news though, the state and country mix up has been fixed in this chapter! Now, ONTO THE STORY!**

* * *

In life, there are times to be excited, to jump out of bed and ready for the day with high curiosity and seeking for adventure. Other times, however, are when someone can't seem to find the energy or will to lift their foot a cementer off the ground. On those days, people tend to want something to do or have something excite them or peek at their interests to keep going.

Interestingly enough, the people of Gravity Falls were no different in finding interests in their daily lives. And being such a small town in the middle of nowhere deep inside a forest, gossip and rumors were easily spread like a wildfire.

Now, not a lot of stuff happened in Gravity Falls that were rumor worthy, and most of it was just gossip of someone doing something or what news someone has heard or what was on sale at the store this week. However, there were some rare occasions where there was more than some small news that people got day to day by. A rare something that people would eat up like a special once in a life time delicacy. Some rare that it was legend or a myth, to be passed up if forgotten that some were ignorant to its presence.

But in Gravity Falls, there was no possible way that anyone could miss a certain rumor spreading around. Not even this one.

Especially since it was about the town's well known man of mystery and high genius.

Yes, with just two days after Ford's departure from the small town that the news spread quicker than a balloon popping. Now, Ford wasn't much of a… _'interactive'_ type of guy. Sure he made some small talk here and there with a few of the folks in the town, and had the few occasions of walking around the town once or twice, but other than that, he was reclusive and mostly kept to himself, so no one really knew much about him.

But that only helped speared rumors even farther. And sometimes, rumors could lead to ridicules and outrageous arguments.

"And I heard Dr. Pines was going to pick up some freaky creature from another country to bring back and experiment on!"

"Na-ah! I heard that it was some massive weapon that the government didn't want anybody having! Bet ya Mr. Ford went to go nab it before they dismantle it for good."

"No way! It has to be a super freaky, ugly, gross monster! Probably to add it to the Mystery Shack to bring in more customers."

"Heh heh yeah! Like Mr. Ford needs any more weird stuff for that place. I bet ten bucks that it's a super weapon."

"Well I bet twenty that it's a monster!"

"Thirty for weapon!"

"Forty for monster!"

"Sixty!"

"Hey! You can't go higher! A hundred!"

"Oh Yeah?! Two Hundred!"

Wendy rolled her eyes, smiling halfheartedly as she continued to stare out the Greasy's Diner window she sat beside. She was in no mood to talk with her friends, her mind was going over what Soos had told her over a week back.

Okay, sure, she had some doubts about this. Heck, she and Ford weren't on solid trusting terms with each other as he was with Soos. Possibly it was because Soos was more loyal to Ford and shown a great deal of trust to the man that Ford had actually trusted Soos with more things than her.

But then there were the rare few moments when Ford needed her more than what Soos could handle on his own. Big, important things that he couldn't trust even Soos with. Sure Ford still trusted Soos, but there were some things that even he didn't trust the big guy with.

They were the moments when she knew that it was serious. Deeply serious.

Still, as serious as it would get, she knew that her relationship with the man of science wasn't completely steady if not shaky at times. She was alright with it though. Let the man have his space and keep his secrets to himself. It wasn't her job to poke and probe at something she probably wouldn't understand.

And then there were his… moments.

A visible shiver went through her body, recalling the first time she had accidentally stumbled across Ford during those. It was _not_ a pleasant memory to go by.

It didn't sit right with her, she KNEW Ford was, in no doubt of her mind, possibly the WORST choice to be a caretaker of two small children, let alone family members. The guy hardly ever mentioned family and didn't really hang with the crowd well. So why was it that he'd go out and come back bringing a pair of twins to care for?

"Hey, Wendy! Earth to Wendy!"

"Hm?" Wendy blinked, turning her head around and looked at her friends. "What?"

"We asked what you thought about the rumors." Nate, the boy sitting next to her, said, looking at her with a brow high against his head.

"Yeah. You know Mr. Ford better than the rest of us here." Lee chimed in, leaning in on his elbows. "I mean you kinda work at the place, so you have to know if he went to go get a super weapon."

"He didn't leave to go get a weapon you dummy! He went to go get a monster!" Nate shoot back.

"Super weapon!"

"Monster!"

"So, Wendy." Robbie butted in as the two teens argued back and forth between each other. "What _is_ the reason for six fingers leaving Gravity Falls?"

"Yeah." Tambry said without glancing up from her phone. "You've been working for the guy since you were, like, twelve or something."

"Eleven and a half actually. And for the record, I didn't work for him till I turned thirteen. I was only helping around the place at first 'cause I accidentally broke one of Ford's machines by mistake." Wendy said, propping an elbow on the table and lean her chin against it, smiling. "Just the little works. By the time that I paid back what I owed, I kinda got used to working around the place."

"Then you should know a bit about him, right? You're only one of the few people who actually talk to him besides that giant gopher." Robbie tilted his head and shrugged. "I mean, you have to know why he left."

"Sure I do." Her smile turned into a playful smirk, glancing out the window again. "But where's the fun in telling you?"

Collective groans and whines came from her friends as she just grinned like a cheshire cat. She couldn't help herself. It was fun to tease her friends and keep them in the dark of her mysteries. Even when it concerned Ford.

He never liked it when someone went jabbing away about his work, so she kept a tight lip about it.

Her friends kept complaining to her till Lazy Eye Susan came with their lunches, settling the teens down and dug into their food while talking between each bite.

"So, when did you say that Mr. Pines would be back again?" Nate asked, stuffing as many fries into his mouth as he could before chewing.

"Today." Wendy shrugged, sipping her drink. "Don't know when exactly, but I'm sure he'll be back sometime soon. After all, tomorrow is the first day of summer break. The Mystery Shake needs someone to run it, and Ford's never been known to leave people hanging." Her gaze went out to the window. A small part of her hoping to see a familiar looking car drive past.

"I still say it's a monster."

"Super weapon."

* * *

 _The stench of chemicals was thick and heavy in the air, leaving little room of fresh air for him to breathe properly. His nose stung with each intake of the foul odor, making him gag and cough heavily._

 _Clamping a hand over his mouth, he continued forward, trying hard not to breathe in so much chemicals._

 _Whoever was in charge of this place had a poor health maintenance._

 _Rounding a corner, he stopped briefly. A cold grip wrapped around his body, clenching his teeth together tightly as his eyes remained glued to what he saw. Shaking his head, he continued forward. He didn't need to worry about that now. Right now, he needed to find them before the security was back online._

 _Adjusting his night vision goggles, he could clearly see that he was heading in the right direction with each visible items in the halls became fewer and fewer the deeper he went in. He knew not many of the people who worked here were allowed down here. Only the higher and more efficient workers were allowed._

 _They were the ones who worked on the more… unnatural aspects._

 _Nails dug into his skin, hurrying his pace. He had to find them. He had to find them now! It wouldn't be forever before the commotion above was fixed and the security to reboot. He had to find them and get them out of here before it was too late to do so._

 _Finally, after turning another corner, he spotted it. Heavy thick magnesium doors with high efficient security locks, more high advanced than any lock he'd ever seen. And why wouldn't it be? The people here were quite determined to keep what they have here. Running over to it, he tugged, pulled, and pounded he fists against it, but it wouldn't budge._

 _Of course it wouldn't. He chastised himself. They weren't stupid. They probably had thought of something like this happening and still want things they had here kept where they are._

 _Cursing, he pulled out one of his guns, setting it to high blast and aimed it at the door. With a pull of the trigger, the gun fired, creating resonating loud bang that echoed the hallways. He swore again. No doubt someone would hear that and come running to check it out, but the door barely even budged by the blast._

 _Great! Just great! Now he had MORE problems to deal with! If he hadn't left in the first place and come back to finding a hole in his house—_

 _Wait._

 _Hole._

 _THAT'S IT!_

 _Stepping sideways, he re-aimed his gun. This time, it was aimed at the wall next to the door, calculating were it should be at the weakest point and fired._

 _When the dust settled, the results were what he'd hoped for._

 _"_ _YES!" He smiled triumphantly at the large man sized hole he made. Quickly, he slipped through the hole, keeping his gun ready just in case there was someone on the other side. It took him a moment to scan the room to find no one else hiding in the dark in there, but when his eyes landed on the still from, everything around him was forgotten._

 _"…_ _no."_

 _The gun slipped from his hand, falling to the ground with a clatter that he didn't even acknowledge. All his focus was on the form in the far back of the room._

 _"_ _No, no, No, NO!" He cried out, running towards the form he so clearly identified despite the injuries all over them. "Oh god, no!" Throwing his arms around them, shaking them and shouting their name. Pleading them to wake up._

 _But they never did._

 _His words were all but falling on stone cold ears._

 _Tears fell down his face, shaking them more and screaming at the top of his lungs for them to wake up, not once considering that his shouts could draw attention, or bother to look behind himself, or acknowledge the sound of a gun charging behind him._

 _Till the cold end tip of his own gun was pressed against the back of his head before the white hot pa—_

Gasping in fright, Ford shot up from his sleep. It took exactly seven minutes of even breathing for his heart rate to slow down to normal level before he could register that, one, he was inside a car parked to the side off of the main road. Two, the car was parked in front of a very familiar sign with a few boards added to the bottom. Three, his body was in uncomfortable pain from sleeping in an odd position. And finally number four, it was only a dream.

A soft sigh of relief filled him, patting his chest.

"Just a dream. Just a dream." He mumbled to himself.

Of course it had been a dream. It was only a dream and nothing more. A very silly, almost real, vivid, memory like dream…

Just a dream.

Ford cringed as he sat up, feeling, or rather hearing, something in his back pop back in its rightful place. How foolish of him to be sleeping in an odd position in a car in his age. He was sure to feel that for the rest of the day for a certainty. But then again, it was his fault for driving most of the night without stopping till he was certain that he was nearby familiar ground. Which was a grand relief when the sign came into view that he finally parked the car beside it and finally allowed sleep to overcome him.

Not really the best choice to do so, but he could criticize his actions later.

What his main focus should be was to get to the Mystery Shack. Summer vacation had started, and the place needed someone to run it. He had to make sure that he was there.

Turning the key to ignition, he drove in silence down the road, letting his thoughts wonder.

Somehow, his thoughts drifted back to the week he had spent away from the little town and into a different state. He had to admit… he liked Gravity Falls better. The people there were more, as someone could put it gently, accepting to some level of oddness. But other people? Not a chance.

Of course people would be wary of him if he carried a gun or two around. Of course not many people were accustomed to strangeness or oddities. Of course he would be avoided like some dame disease.

But when they noticed his hands…

It was almost like his youthful years. The stares, the whispering, the name calling… okay, there wasn't really any name calling while he was there, but it still felt like it!

Honestly, couldn't people just ignore six finger hands? It really wasn't all **_that_** noticeable.

Still, as the rest of the week went, despite some… _uncomfortable_ _memories_ , it was quite interesting.

Not only did he leave Gravity Falls and come back in one piece, but he also discovered that there was also an anomaly in Californian! Who knew?! It was certainly something that he could write down in one of his journals. They certainly needed some new documentation in them!

The sheer size of the thing was massive! And able to spit out acid? Amazing! And the tails! Oh he certainly wouldn't forget those any time soon! But the display of intelligence was what got his interest. Such display! Such quick thinking and action! Such remarkable feats!

But, such was fate that he sadly couldn't study the creature for so long. But in his defense, he _was_ running for his life at the time. He would have taken the creature head on, he had the tools to do so, but it wasn't more so his life that he was worried about.

No.

His life was not important at that moment. Not in a million years or many more.

For once in his life time, Ford was running not for _his_ life, but for _others_ lives.

Glancing at the review mirror, he couldn't help but let a small smile etch its way onto his face.

The reason why he went to California, the reason why he put his life second and other first, the reason why he **knew** he could do this, were fast asleep, slumped against each other without worry or care.

His great niece and nephew.

Mabel and Dipper Pines.

There was no question. He was indeed their uncle, great uncle to be exact. The blood test was positive. The resemblance of the Pines heritage was defiantly in their young features. And the unmistakable stubbornness inside them that only a Pines could have was no doubt inside of them.

Yes, he did have doubts at first.

Yes, he still didn't quite believe that they were family.

Yes, he _still_ didn't believe that he would be a good caretaker.

But dame to any unnatural forces that could kiss the ends of his guns. He had family! Family! Who knew that Shermy, his young brother, would get lucky and get a girl? And much less have a family and become a grandpa?! He really needed to get in touch with his brother more often.

His smiled faded, turning his focus back on the road that lead to the woods. Getting in touch with family would have to wait. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

Like legal issues.

One week to claim the kids didn't just magically solve everything. There were still some legal issues to deal with. Stanford had study up on some of the legal requirements that he was sure to help him gain some leverage in taking both twins into his care, but it wasn't enough to make it steady. His custody over them wasn't permanent. Thanks to being so isolated and the ' _dangerous quality's_ ' they oh so deemed him to have, his custody over the children would be taken away at the end of summer, if not right then and there had he not been the only nearby family member that they had. However, there was some good news.

A case worker would be sent to his home in the near end of summer. If he could prove that he was capable of caring for the twins and provide a steady home for them to live in, then they would reconsider taking the children away.

Which was good on his case. Ford would never admit it out loud to anyone, but the week he had spent with the twins, they kind of grew on him.

He could tell that they took a liking to him as well. Even being okay with his six fingered hands without worry or care.

Well, Mabel didn't care. She just smiled when she saw his hands, saying that they were an extra finger friendlier. He took a liking to her quite quickly. She was weird! And quite an easy going child. Already she had warmed up to him before he warmed up to her when they first met.

And then, there was Dipper. Oh Dipper. Ford could see a lot of similarities between him and the boy. Smarts, curiosity, adventure seeking, love of mysteries and high complicated problems. Though, it took some time for him to warm up to Ford. He wasn't as trusting as his sister and was more open minded as well. That was something Ford didn't expect for someone his age to have. But surprises could pop up anywhere.

Bonding with the boy was not a simple task as it was with Mabel. It took patience and some time to get use to each other, but it was rewarding in the end when the boy finally opened up to Ford. Dipper still had some of his guard up around him and didn't quite trust him fully yet, but at least they could have a simple conversation or two with each other.

But maybe now over the summer, he could properly bond with the twins. After all, how hard could it be to watch over a pair of twelve year old's? It shouldn't be too hard to handle them.

And if he couldn't watch over them for a time, that wouldn't be much of a problem either. He had extra eyes that could do the job for him.

Shifting his glance out to the woods, his smile returned. Yes, he could rely on them to watch the kids when he couldn't. Possibly better than him.

Eyes back on the road, he turned the car to the pathway to his home, smiling in both relief and happiness of a familiar looking shack coming into view. Home again.

It was a relief to see it still standing. Not that he didn't doubt Soos for a moment. The handyman was quite reliable when it came down to loyalty and work. But there were _other_ worries that had to be taken into precaution.

Frowning, he drove around the shack and up to a stop in front of the back porch, turning the car off. He had forgotten about the dangers that lurked around the shack. Even the bigger dangers in the woods. Dangers that were sure to take advantage of him now that he brought the twins here. He had to be extra careful in keeping his home safe for the twins if he was going to keep them.

"Great uncle Ford?" A tired voice caught his attention. Turning around, he smiled as the boy, Dipper, drowsily awoke from his slumber. "What time is it?" He asked with a yawn, rubbing one eye with his bandaged arm.

Ford cringed slightly. Both of the twins were lucky enough only to have some scrapes and bruises as any aftermath of the accident. One or two cuts on their body and Mabel… poor girl. She had a new reason for wearing sweaters. "It's an hour past noon Dipper. You and your sister have slept for quite some time now." He answered with an easy tone.

Dipper nodded his head numbly, yawning again. "Why is the car off? Are we there?"

"Yes. We've just arrived at the shack." Unbuckling, Ford opened the door and stepped out, walking over to the back door and opening it wide. "Now then, let's get you and Mabel inside and settled shall we? I'm sure that Soos has gotten the attic ready for you two and a bed would be a much more suitable place to sleep on."

"Bed sound nice." Dipper agreed, unbuckling himself and his sister, carefully maneuvering her as he did so. "Mabel still seems to be on her medication anyway." He noted, easing her to her side.

Ford nodded, moving aside to let Dipper slip out of the car first before reaching in and carefully scooping up his sister in his arms. "I'm sure the medicine will wear off soon." And for that he was grateful. Having Mable sleep through most of the car ride back to Gravity Falls was a blessing for Ford. "Now then, let's get you both inside." He shifted the girl to one arm, holding out his hand for Dipper to take.

"Wha'd about our stuff?" Dipper mumbled, grabbing onto Ford's fingers in one hand as his other was rubbing his eyes again.

"I'll have Soos bring your stuff in, don't you worry." He reassured, leading the boy up the porch stairs. "Right now, you both need some sleep."

Dipper nodded his head, yawning as he leaned against Ford's leg. Smiling fondly, Ford released his hand from Dipper's lose grasp, fishing around his pockets till finally grabbing the keys and unlocking the door. Pushing the door open with his foot, he readjusted his hold on Mabel, taking hold of Dipper's hand again and led the boy inside. Once they were inside, Ford smiled as he looked about the room.

Soos did an excellent job of cleaning the place up. It even looked better than he ever remembered it being. Not a speck in sight. But also no handyman in sight. He was certain that Soos would be here waiting for him to arrive with the twins. He was quite eager to meet them once he told him about the, now confirmed, possibility of coming home with twins.

Maybe he was out? That seemed likely. Soos never left the shack unlocked when he was away.

Shrugging, Ford closed the door with the end of his boot and continued to lead Dipper as they ascended the stairs to the upper floors. He could worry about the gopher-man later. Getting the children in a comfortable bed was the main objective right now.

Once on the third floor, Ford noted how Dipper was leaning against him heavily, eyes nearly closed all the way under the brim of his hat. With a soft smile, Ford bent down and wrapped his free arm around Dipper waist and hefted him up. Dipper mumbled something that Ford could not make out fully before slumping against the man's chest and falling asleep.

Ford chuckled quietly, walking the rest of the way to the attic door and opening it wide with a soft kick of his boot. His smile turned into a frown as he stepped into the room. The attic wasn't as presentable as it was down stairs. It was cleaned out of all the boxes and old equipment, but it looked like Soos didn't have enough time to clean up everything in here. There were still cobwebs on the rafters, some items that weren't taken out of the room were put in the far back or on shelves, and there were old empty bird nests still everywhere.

With a sigh, Ford shook his head. This will have to do for now. He'd clean up the place later.

At least Soos was able to get the beds ready. Strolling over, he carefully placed Dipper on the left bed and place Mabel on the right, tucking them in. Once he was sure that they were comfortable enough, he quickly and quietly left the room, closing the door shut behind him.

"It's official." Ford sighed, descending the stairs. "I have two family members living with me in my own home."

With a chuckle, he went down into the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. "This will be some summer to remember." He mussed, opening the cabaret and taking out the coffee mix. "New changes, new faces, new adventures, heh. I might need to make a new journal for this." He laughed lightly, pouring in the amount of coffee he needed into the machine and waited for his coffee to be made.

"Now then, what to do." He glanced about the kitchen, rubbing his chin in thought as he sat down.

There was nothing in his sight that he could do. Soos had obviously made sure to clean out the kitchen, so cleaning in here wasn't going to be an option. He even got rid of the dead possum! … At least, he thought it was dead. He could never tell if it was playing dead or not. Oh well. Guess he'd never find out now.

Sighing, he took out a pen and grabbed some nearby paper that was clean enough for use. Might as well start writing down the creature before he forgot about it.

* * *

" **So, these are the twins that you spoke of?** "

They nodded, keeping their eyes locked on the window. Not once had they taken their attention away from the two small forms the moment he felt their presence and their scent in the air. Now they sat perched in the shadows, far off from the shack that their form was cloaked in shadows, but near enough that they could see the small pair that Stanford had brought back with him.

" **…** **Pathetic.** "

A sharp growl left their mouth, turning their head away from the twins to the shadows.

" **We expected… more, from them. They are not what we would expect the man of science to bring home.** "

They hissed, digging into the bark of the thick oak tree. How **_dare_** they mock them!

" **Cease your anger. We only speak truth.** "

Their only response was a sharp huff, returning their focus back on the twins.

" **… We sense your desire… but you know the consequence if you do so.**"

They were silent, watching the pair as they slept peacefully. Oh so peacefully.

" **… Very well. You have our promise.**"

They didn't move as the voices became soft, or budge when the trees around them groaned, or flinch when the earth shook slightly, or acknowledge the fading scent of burned earth, oak of a pine tree, sea water, fresh grass, and crushed up mountains. They only focused on the small pair inside the house, and, for the first time in their long life, smiled.

Yes, they would protect them.

That promise they would keep.

* * *

 **1-19-12-21-9-11-19 4-9 17-6-23-2-15-4-25 18-23-12-12-5**


End file.
